7beta-hydroxycholesterol induces apoptosis and regulates cyclooxygenase 2 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To determine whether treatment with 7beta-hydroxycholesterol (7beta-HC) would trigger cell death in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion.

Design: In vitro study.

Subjects: The study included HNSCC cell lines SCC9, SCC25, CAL27, and FaDu.

Down-regulation of Mcl-1 with antisense technology alters the effect of various cytotoxic agents used in treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Antisense oligonucleotides have recently been identified as new anticancer agents. Since human head and neck cancer cells highly express the antiapoptotic protein myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), the aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of the Mcl-1 suppression in combination with various cytotoxic agents in the head and neck cancer cell line SCC9. After oligonucleotide transfection and/or treatment with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), gemcitabine, paclitaxel or cetuximab, proliferation assays were performed to determine cell viability.